Caught Unawares
by clandestiner
Summary: Life continues for Kagome in college as strangers come and go. That is, until one stranger comes and stays. But looks are deceiving as the faceless man turns out to be someone from the past.


**Title**: Caught Unawares (Tentative title)

**Author: **Clandestiner

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha

**Summary: **Life continues for Kagome in college as strangers come and go. That is, until one stranger comes and stays. But looks are deceiving as the faceless man turns out to be someone from the past.

**Rated: **R or M or whatever

**A/n: **I'm not sure if I will continue past a couple of chapters. It depends on how well this is received and how much I want to write this. So please, please review and tell me your thoughts. The plot will be complicated and I'm still working out the details. So...long story! If continued.

**Pairing: **Sess/Kag

O O O

The subway was dark and damp and metallic all around, harsh yellow lights and the smell of mildew and rust hung heavily in the air and all she saw was brown and gray.

Kagome was used to it. She used the subway almost every day to get to and from the place where she interned. Before, she had been a little uncomfortable at the depressing sight of old and sickly, but now it was just a habit. Her senses eventually became accustomed to everything, and she was soon ignoring the rats that occasionally skittered across the dark tracks below.

The ground above was just as dank as below. It was raining up there, and everything was cold and dark and the slightly permeating smell of garbage hung heavily over the morning population.

Kagome liked the subway. People ignored her, each person was caught in their own little bubble. They often read the day's news or stared drearily ahead in front of them so that everything was silent save for the occasional rustle of paper.

Kagome waited for the next train to come. She stood patiently against one of the pillars, her backpack slung sloppily across her back, half hidden by her long hair. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, wondering idly whether or not Eri would be at the apartment when she got there. The stress that she had accumulated from the day had built up, just waiting to be released. Maybe they could go eat out tonight.

She doubted the possibility. The two were often scrounging around for money, just barely paying off the rent for the small, already low-rent, apartment they currently lived in.

Kagome shifted from one foot the other and looked around the deserted area. She was glad she didn't have to travel during rush hour. The large crowds made her feel uncomfortable, too.

Of course, the empty station made her feel a little unsafe, but nothing happened in the past couple of months she had been using it, so she was okay with that.

With a small sigh, Kagome returned back to staring out in front of her as she listened to the heavy downpour from the rain outside above her.

"Excuse me miss. Do you have a light?"

The smooth voice caught her off-guard, almost causing her to slide off the pillar. Kagome turned to look at whoever had spoken to her, an angry expression already planted onto her face.

She had expected to see some businessman, suited up and ready to hit on unsuspecting young college girls. Instead, she found herself face to face with a younger man, about her age. He had purple and blue hair, with glittering black eyes and a cocky grin. He wore a black leather jacket, replete with chains and studs, and dull black army boots.

Kagome smiled back at him.

"Yeah. I do," she finally replied. Swinging her backpack around, she started to rummage through it, her fingers grasping and moving aside the notebooks and papers that got in the way.

"Here you go," she said, holding up the red, clear lighter. The man smiled and flipped a cigarette out from his hand as if he were performing a magic trick. He stuck it in his mouth and pursed his lips, leaning forward so Kagome could light the other end.

"Thanks," he said, taking a slow drag. Kagome shrugged and stuck the lighter into her pocket. She turned back around to assume her old position.

But the man was there right in front of her. Instead of jumping, Kagome just lifted an eyebrow.

"What's your name?"

"Eri," Kagome lied. "What's yours?"

"Nothing."

Kagome didn't miss a beat.

"Well hello Nothing. Pleased to meet you."

She called him Nothing in her head. Nothing was tall and lanky and skinny as hell. He was pale and pasty with tattoos: skulls and knives and demons and strange symbols and the stringy muscles in his arms that popped up beneath the faded pictures.

Kagome wasn't stupid. Well. She was a little lazy.

Her hand slipped into her pocket and she touched the little can of pepper spray. She talked to strangers, but only because it took more energy _not_ to talk to them. She smiled sweetly and nodded, a little standoffish. One wrong move and… she sent them groaning and squirming as she calmly got off at the next stop.

She liked being tough. Or acting tough.

But she liked tough. And although it helped her understand Inuyasha a little better, it also helped her to keep people out of her business. At least for a while. If they came back she would just… spray them in the face.

What would Inuyasha have thought?

Nothing rolled up his sleeve to reveal several burn marks on his bicep. He calmly took a nice, deep inhalation and stabbed the dying stump of the cigarette onto the already marred skin. Kagome didn't flinch.

"What the hell was that for?" she asked, her curiosity spiking. Nothing grinned. He had black black eyes.

"It feels goood," he replied, stretching the last word until it disappeared into the silence.

Kagome laughed.

"You're crazy."

"I know."

The train arrived, a parade of shiny metal and oppressing atmosphere. Kagome quickly boarded it, hesitating before she sat down on a slick plastic seat. Nothing stood by the door, his sinewy body leaning casually against the side of the compartment.

"You go to the University here?"

Kagome looked up and eyed Nothing warily. And wearily. She shrugged vaguely.

Nothing's fingers curled around the edge of a seat. She looked at his hands, and they were clean. Surprisingly clean, with blunt, white nails and smooth knuckles.

"What do you do?" she asked, eliciting another smooth grin.

"Nothing."

"Nothing except stalk young women?" Kagome inquired innocently. Another flash of teeth.

"It's looks the other way around to me," Nothing pushed at her lightly. Kagome felt a smile tug at her lips and turned to look out the window. She suddenly felt tired and hoped he got her message of closing off the conversation.

The dim lights sped past her in long flashes, a slow pulse in her eyes. God, it was so depressing.

She stared at her reflection in the glass. Her face looked sallow under the yellow lights and she could see faint indentations under her eyes from the lack of sleep from the past few years. She felt old and she felt burdened and pessimistic. And tired. Don't forget tired.

Nothing was looking out the other window, she could see the back of his head, his black hair was combed carefully, slick and smooth like oil. He was staring out the opposite window, looking just as tired and listless as she was. Maybe she had found a new subway buddy?

Kagome laughed at her optimism inwardly. She was rarely optimistic it seemed; the few instances were negated by the sarcastic undertone her words always seemed to carry.

The lights continued to speed by, the intermittent flashes causing the compartment to go from dimly lit to extremely bright. Kagome kept her eyes trained on her new friend behind her as she stared at the glass in front. The image was hazy and blurry and warped, sending his form into that of a twisted, branchless tree.

Kagome blinked suddenly. She peered at the window, as if looking into a pool of water. She thought... she thought she had seen another figure, a shadow flickering in her mind's eye.

Had there been another person in the compartment?

She could just turn around and _look_.

But she felt so weird. And paralyzed.

She narrowed her eyes and attempted to rearrange the dark reflection in front of her as the lights continued to pulse. What was in the dark pool of light behind her, a sitting shadowy humanoid form. It looked like...

Kagome blinked again and narrowed her eyes, trying to pull the distortions into focus as the bus stopped at a brightly lit station, one of the newer ones. She thought she had seen a dark cloak, draped over something, someone tall and thin and...

Kagome finally turned around. All she saw was Nothing.

O O O

"So what's you real name?" Kagome asked the next day. Once again the station was deserted save for her new evening companion.

"My real name is none of your business," Nothing replied with an easy smile and white teeth. Kagome groaned and nudged him, unaware that she had closed the space between the two strangers.

Nothing looked at her from the corner of his eyes and Kagome could see the starry reflection of the fluorescent lights.

"Okay None of Your Business. Can I just call you ONYB for short? It's too long to say in just one breath," Kagome smirked. Nothing smirked back.

"It's a foreign name," he said drily, eliciting a half smile from her. He pulled out a cigarette and Kagome pulled out a lighter.

"Do you smoke?" Nothing asked after a puff, motioning to the lighter with the glowing end of the cigarette.

"Sometimes," Kagome shrugged. "I'm not hooked."

"Yeah? Are your sure about that?"

"Yes. I am, actually," Kagome replied in irritation. Everyone was always getting on her to quit.

"You don't look like the type."

"No one's what they seem."

Nothing smiled again with all his teeth. Under the harsh lights, he looked amused and predatory at the same time.

"That," he said, blowing a ring of smoke into the air, "is so true."

O O O

The days rushed past as they always seemed to between significant incidents. Kagome never found out Nothing's real name, and she never told him hers. But he was there in that empty void left by the rush of people, lending her company as she continued with life. The only things they knew about each other was their presence in the station and on the train. She was glad, though, to have someone to talk to.

"Gotta light?" Nothing asked one day, the first to talk after a stretch of silence. He always asked, even though he knew that she always had one. It was one of the things, besides his charisma, that threw her off balance.

Kagome nodded and drew the lighter out from her pocket as her companion drew out two sticks of cigarettes. He watched as she lit them both, the dull orange lighting up her face as she did so. He handed her one as he stuck the other in his mouth, letting it hang casually.

"No, thanks," Kagome said, shaking her head. Nothing cocked a slick black eyebrow and blew a cloud of smoke into her face as he leaned close to her.

"Aww," he murmured. "Come on. It tastes so good."

Kagome looked at the short white stick, expressionless. She felt as though he was seducing her, pushing her and goading her with his smooth voice and black eyes.

But she made up her mind.

"Give me that," Kagome snapped, snatching the cigarette with her thumb and forefinger and sticking it between her lips.

"Good girl," Nothing approved of her as she sucked in a deep breath.

"God, that tastes good."

"Of course it does."

The train arrived on schedule, its lights flickering weakly as usual. Kagome slung her purse and bookbag to her shoulder and stepped into the compartment, followed closely by Nothing. She sat down on the plastic seat as he took his position near the automatic doors. She could feel his arm brush her shoulder as he walked by with long, slow stride. He turned and winked at her. Kagome let out a dry laugh and rolled her eyes as she turned her head to stare out the window, lost in her thoughts.

The rides were always little long, lasting about twenty minutes. With the stops in between, getting from one end of the city to the other was torture. The physical and mental exhaustion was the heaviest at this time of day, tugging at Kagome's eyelids and pushing her just close her eyes for five minutes.

Just five minutes.

So as Kagome fought the wave of sleep that was battling for dominance in her mind, she missed the sound the doors made as they opened at the next stop. She didn't wake up until five minutes later, when the screech of metal on metal jolted her awake.

She looked up to see Nothing still lounging, standing up, near the door. His eyes were open and alert, as though he was searching for something. But Kagome ignored him as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to extinguish the sleep that still lingered. She looked into the glass window, tugging at the dark shadows under her eyes and seeing a dark shadow sitting silently behind her.

A flash from almost a week ago, deja vu, caused Kagome to turn sharply. She found herself staring overtly at a tall man, his head hidden under the black hood of his long coat. His posture was perfect, though, eliciting Kagome to attribute some kind of pride to him, a hubris. His long, white fingers stood out sharply against his long, dark coat. They curled into the deep folds, as if trying to restrain the body they were attached to.

Kagome reflexively reached for her little can of pepper spray and sighed when her fingers brushed the cool metal.

O O O

The man was there everyday from then on and neither Kagome nor Nothing mentioned his ominous presence. They had somehow tacitly agreed to ignore him, as if voicing their sentiments toward the strange man would cause him to turn corporeal. Or at least that's what Kagome felt. Nothing seemed to just act as if no one was there.

They waited for the train to come, both smoking their cigarettes in the dank subway station. It was raining again; the sound of the distant thunder could be heard through the metal and wood and glass.

The train came, quickly and then slowly, its wheels dragging to a slow stop. The floor was completely wet, smelling of mildew and urine and old shoes. Little bits of soggy newspaper littered the floor, adhering like little stickers. Kagome stepped lightly, making sure to not slip on the slick floor. The warmth from the wet compartment rose up, carrying the heavy stench with it, causing her to gag slightly.

The faceless man was there again, his tall presence silent and ominous as he filled up the air around him. Kagome couldn't help but stare at him, his strange height, his garb. She wondered vaguely if he had murdered anybody recently, but the humorous thought left a sour feeling in her mouth.

"Smoke?" Nothing asked from his position. Kagome nodded and lifted her lighter to both their cigarettes. She looked up at the "No Smoking" sign above the door and drew in a deep breath, relishing the feel of the texture of the smoke as it pervaded her lungs. Nothing smirked and imitated her actions, blowing a billowy cloud in front of him. He walked back to his usual area, the rings and chains jingling on his leather jacket as he went.

Kagome turned toward her window, watching the end of the cigarette burn softly as she inhaled. The slow throb of the wheels on the rail was like a lull, causing her gaze to droop slightly. With a sigh, Kagome let her head drop a little onto the thick glass, her eyes straining as they watched the images in the window.

She wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep, or if she was drifting in and out the whole time. The lights seemed to dim and the loud clang of metal upon metal disappeared, as if stifled by something thick and oozing. Nothing's dark form from the corner of her vision slowly turned into a shadow, wavering in and out of the decreasing lights. She wondered if she should call out his name to see if he would turn around, but she couldn't move; her arms and legs and body felt like molasses, weighing her down. She felt helpless, but her mind was too drowsy to react to her worst nightmare.

Kagome squinted her eyes, trying to discern what was happening. The air _looked_ thick... the lights were too dim. In the reflection of the glass, everything seemed to become nothing, disappearing into the background. Nothing moved, nothing was heard, and Kagome felt something coming. She could feel it growing in her chest, a warning, a harbinger for danger. She could feel the acidic feeling in the pit of her abdomen, clawing at the walls, climbing up her throat and tearing at her eyes.

Amid the frozen time around her, the man removed the clawed hands that held him back, the white ivory stained with the film of age. She watched as they slid slowly off his black coat, leaving a trail of afterimages with every movement. Kagome watched in horror as he stood up, the cloth around him spilling and falling around the skeletal body beneath it, spilling and falling and moving slowly towards her, his arms hanging at his sides black snakes with white fangs his face still hidden beneath the cloak a harbinger framed by white hair sheared by a madman glowing in the absence of light hidden eyes beneath bangs and her mind crashed in the confusion as she tried to figure it out and she knew it was coming she knew it was coming to get her she knew it was coming as her heart beat faster and faster killing her and she was breathing now and she was moving now and the man was back, sitting and waiting for the next stop snapped back to reality--

Kagome woke up face to face with the man across from her. She stifled the urge to cry out as the images from her dream came rushing back to her full force. Looking down, Kagome made sure his hands were still at his side, wondering if he had moved. She then shook her head and turned around, trying desperately to separate dream from reality.

O O O

Kagome looked up at Nothing as she gathered her belongings in preparation for the last stop--her own.

"You missed your stop?" she asked, smiling slightly. Nothing shrugged, mumbling a reply. "I guess you'll have to go back."

"I guess," came Nothing's words. His back faced her, leaving Kagome only guessing at what he was feeling.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she made her way to the sliding doors. The train decreased its speed slowly, the wheels grating and screeching as it did so.

With a final goodbye, Kagome lifted her bookbag and screamed.

The hand on her shoulder tightened in response as images of the man behind her slashing at her throat caused Kagome to reach desperately for her weapon. She spun around and froze.

Another scream echoed through the empty station.

In the back of her mind, Kagome could hear the warning beeps of the door as it attempted to close, banging against her side as she thrashed beneath the firm grip of her attacker.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kagome screeched as she was jerked back into the train. She cried out in pain as the bone in her arm dislocated from her shoulder. Strobe-like spots dancing in front of her eyes as she could feel the bone grate against the socket and lodge to the side.

"I'm here to collect what is mine," Nothing grinned, his face so close to hers. Kagome bucked pitifully under his tight hold, but his strength was terrifying. She had underestimated the man's appearance. She had been tricked. She had been deceived.

The realization hit her harder than the pain as the train began moving again, slowly and then quickly, the lights speeding by in response.

"Please! Just take what you want and let me go!" Kagome cried, the tears falling heavily. Nothing jerked her towards him, closing the remaining amount of space that Kagome had attempted to put between them. The stringy, hard muscles beneath her felt like stone as her head banged into his chest. Kagome looked up to see the grin still plastered onto his face, sharp pointed teeth digging into his bottom lips. Red eyes...

Kagome's body went into a frenzy once again, a storm of movement. She could feel his hands moving over her, squeezing and insistent and searching. Words became caught in her throat, tangled in her fear and alarm. She felt as though she was struggling against a box of metal.

"Where is it?" Nothing demanded, his voice distorting and muffled against the moving train. He was still grinning, reveling in his search as his hands continued to grasp at her, scratching every inch and every limp and every single part of her sanity...

"Please!" Kagome rasped, screaming at the same time. "Someone help me!"

Her words were replaced by sobs and strained movement. The tears of her eyes smeared everything together as she thrashed over and over again.

And in the subconscious of her mind, Kagome caught sight of the other man, sitting silently to the side, black in the shadows, disappearing as every bit of her was...

Nothing looked up, his face frozen in shock. He dropped her, letting her fall to the floor with a heavy thud. Kagome looked up in surprise. The man was up, one arm tightening around Nothing's neck and the other pressed firmly into his abdomen. Realizing what was going on, Kagome quickly scrambled to the edge of the train until her back hit the wall. She watched as the man with no face calmly crushed Nothing until his eyes bulged. Not even a second passed when the lifeless body came crashing down.

And the train continued to move, unaware of what had just occurred.

The man stood in front of Kagome, hands hanging at his side as though nothing had happened.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered.

The man did not respond. He just seem to stare at her from underneath his hood, studying.

Time had always existed for Kagome, a vehicle, a position, a means. But as she sat there upon the train, staring at the strange man in front of her, it had disappeared, leaving behind only them.

The train stopped and the doors slid open, waiting in patience. A hand appeared from beneath the folds of the cloak and Kagome took it gratefully, ignoring the pain from her shoulder. But instead of helping her all the way up, then man took hold of the arm and the opposite shoulder. Kagome stared at him, bracing for the pain.

"Fuck!" she screamed as the arm was popped back into the socket. Tears sprang into her eyes, replacing the ones that had dried. She quickly wiped them away, as though crying in front of this man would be insulting. She repeated her expletive and sighed.

Exhaustion flooded her body and Kagome wanted to cry. She had no idea why what just happened happened. But it was suddenly real to her as she gazed down at the lifeless form of Nothing.

Kagome looked up to see the man who had saved her waiting expectantly outside, his face still hidden as he looked on at her.

With a small, shaky sigh, Kagome stepped over Nothing's body.

O O O

With no words actually coming out of his mouth, the silent man only guided her to a taxi through the rain. Kagome pushed aside the thick curtain of her black hair and looked up at him as he stood by the open door, waiting patiently again. Kagome nodded and slid into the warm taxi, her shivers disappearing as she huddled into a tight form. The man glided in after her.

Throughout the ride, Kagome stared blankly ahead of her. Every movement was on autopilot. Her thoughts became blurs as her mind repeated everything over and over again. She never once questioned the man where they were going, although she did look up once, a questioning expression lingering on her features.

Despite his appearance and her initial thoughts of him, Kagome made no move to get out of the taxi. He had saved her, and her scrambled thoughts somehow were superimposed by her sudden trust.

In the taxi, the rain hit the glass forcefully from the outside, the sound deadened from the metal, mirroring Kagome's own thoughts. The things that had just happened felt oddly disconnected, as though she could not quite grasp what had happened; it was as if she had just watched a movie, the scenes replaying over and over without the sensory and emotional impact that they carried.

The man's presence was soon forgotten as Kagome leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. Her nose began to tickle, signaling the arrival of tears and a blurred vision.

God, she was so exhausted and... and it...

A jagged cut on her right arm began to throb slightly, causing Kagome to grab and hold in an attempt to suffocate it. Instead, more tears spilled out from beneath her clenched lashes, dripping down her cheek to join the collection of rainwater that had gathered onto her shirt. The outside world became more external as thoughts and images continued to grow in her mind, sinking into her consciousness and into her fingers. She was grasping something sharp and it was beginning to sting and tear at her chest.

The taxi stopped suddenly, and there was a silence as the man beside her reached over and handed the driver the fare. Then, as smooth as silk on air, the man reached over and drew Kagome's body up from the seat, guiding her out of the car. From the stillness of inside the vehicle arrived the roaring of rain as it hit the pavement. Kagome was thrown back into reality, causing her to gasp for air amid the cold water that drenched her face.

Her tears felt scalding hot compared to the thousands of cutting pinpricks. They began to fall as fast the sky and everything, from her pain to her fear to her shame, everything grew exponentially. Kagome was frozen onto the sidewalk, her knees bent slightly.

'You're okay. You're okay,' the soothing thought echoed sadly in the back of her mind, helping her to breath. Where was she?

Kagome looked up to see the man standing motionless in front of her, his back straight, his face still hooded. With a nod, he began walking into what happened to be her apartment building. With a slight jump, the college girl stumbled in after him. He was already on the stairs when she got there, his covered hand sliding smoothly up the railing. The stillness from inside was interrupted only by Kagome's own heavy, squelching stomps on the creaking metal staircase. She ignored the cacophony as she stared down at her feet, her eyes set on the dark shadow trailing after the man in front of her.

'Something is strange', Kagome thought only half warily. She could feel the man stand aside so that she could unlock the door. Why wasn't she scared?

With a trembling finger, Kagome wiped the last remnants of water that clung to her lashes, the coolness dissipating onto her hot skin. With the same hand, she reached into her bag and pulled out a tangle of keys. Before turning the lock, she shifted.

"Um."

The word got caught in her throat, coming out like grating plastic. Cringing, Kagome cleared her throat and continued, painfully aware of how her voice trembled as much as her body.

"Thank you. For. For helping me out back there. I..."

The tears came back, spilling into her line of vision. Through the distortions, Kagome thought she saw a white blur in the dark void of where the man's face was, slipping out for a brief instant.

"Thank you. I have money in my room. To pay you back for the fare. I'll be right back."

Not wasting any time, she turned the lock, stepped into the room, shut the door, and locked it. All in one fluid, well-practiced motion. Heaving a heavy sigh, Kagome dropped her belongings onto the floor, not caring about the fact that she was completely drenching the carpet. She just wanted to...sleep. And maybe just forget.

She eyed a small, clear bottle on top of the refrigerator and shook her head. Afterwards, she would...

Kagome stalked over to her bedroom, not wanting to keep the man waiting outside. She bent over near her bed and lifted the mattress, revealing a small, flat disk of crumpled bill. She quickly grabbed what she knew was triple the fare and flattened them out one by one on top of her thigh. There.

She then froze in front of the door, suddenly realizing something.

How had he known? The quick trip into her recent memories threw out no recollection of revealing her address, unless she had been too confused...too...

No.

Or maybe it was. But Kagome wanted to get rid of him and his silence and strangeness now, as soon as possible. The inviting emptiness of the apartment was beckoning to her, lending energy to her exhausted self so that she could take care of business and finally relax.

Folding the bills in her hand, Kagome walked back out of her bedroom.

The first thing her mind registered was a black mirage, floating in the middle of her tiny living room, growing by the second.

She bit back a scream. It was the man, standing, his head almost touching the ceiling. Two thoughts that immediately crossed her mind were: Had she locked the door? and How come she hadn't noticed how tall the man was?

Kagome shrugged off both, putting the blame on her shaken state. She took a step forward and elongated her arm, the money sitting limply in the palm of her hand.

"Here you go. I hope that's enough, I-- thank you so much for helping me. I don't know what would have ha-happened," she choked out. The money stayed in her palm. Shit.

"I'm sorry. I really don't have a lot of money. I know I could never repay you. I know I could never--"

The man cut her off with a slight turn of his head, as though he only just noticed at her. The thought that he might not want the money finally crossed Kagome's mind, subsequently causing her to lower the arm. She sniffed once, trying to discern any features beneath the lowered hood.

"I'm sorry, but what do you want?" Kagome asked, flinching at her own acerbic words. She thought she saw the shoulders lift and fall, as though the figure across from her was sighing from her lack of insight. He then turned completely, so that his form loomed over hers, engulfing her in a void without sound or sight. It was as though a glacier was moving across the ocean, still save for the silent glide, cutting through water.

The man's hand lifted, the sleeve fell away.

And Kagome...felt it. The realization before the evidence had fully presented itself.

And it pounded in her head, rumbled in her stomach. She could feel wave after crashing wave behind her eyes and under her lungs, collapsing and tearing at her breath.

She was dizzy, falling, her chest heaved in surprise as the fingers grasped the hood, the sleeve falling away completely to reveal two jagged strips of vivid, strong color, sitting smoothly on a pale wrist. The dark slipped away, settling onto the man's shoulders.

"Shit," Kagome breathed. And there he was.

O O O

Please review. Pretty please?


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